Women are less corrupt so put them in power

Women in India have long been sidelined from politics, but that could be about to change, with a new bill approved by the upper house of parliament this week on setting aside one third of the seats for women.

On the other side of the world, in New York, RT’s Lori Harfenist found out that people believe quotas in government bodies are a good solution as a first step to bringing more women into power. This could be specifically useful in countries where society has not particularly discussed or come to a conclusion about how to balance things out in public authority.

One opinion is that women are generally understood to be less corrupt, so the more women there are in power, the healthier the whole society is.

Another take on the situation is that India’s move is a compromise to get closer to equal opportunities for both genders. There is no difference between men and women governing, it depends on the individual, but a real equality would be if women take the 50% of the positions in governmental bodies that belong to them by right.

It must be noted that current acting president of India is a woman. Despite her age, Pratibha Patil, who was born in 1934, is very active in all ways. Just a few months ago, the 75-year old Indian politician personally tested a Russian Su-30 MKI fighter jet and became India’s first female to fly a combat aircraft.

In 2009, Meira Kumar became the first woman speaker of Lok Sabha, the Indian parliament.

The president of the Indian National Congress, India's major political party, is also woman, Sonia Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi was the first and up to date last female prime minister of the Republic of India. She headed the country for 15 years, or three consecutive terms, until her assassination in 1984, and still remains an iconic figure for most Indians.

Read also - India: Women in Power